Oromo Verbs
Welcome to the 10th lesson about verbs in Oromo. We will first learn about the present tense, followed by the past tense, and future tense. We will also analyze some grammar rules, and finally practice how to ask for direction in Oromo.
Verbs are used to express an action (I swim) or a state of being (I am). The present tense in Oromo conveys a situation or event in the present time. Here are some examples:
| Present Tense - Oromo |
|---|
| I speak English ingiliffa nan dubbadha |
| you speak French afaan faransaayi dubbata |
| he speaks German afaan jarmanii dubbata |
| she speaks Italian afaan xaliyaani dubbatti |
| we speak Arabic afaan arabaa dubbanna |
| they speak Chinese afaan chayina dubbatu |
The past tense in Oromo conveys a situation or event in the past time. Here are some examples:
| Past Tense - Oromo |
|---|
| I visited France biyya faransaayi ndaawwadhe |
| you visited Italy biyya xaaliyaani daawwatte |
| he visited Morocco biyya morooko daawwate |
| she visited China biyya chaayina daawwatte |
| we visited Mexico biyya meeksiko daawwanne |
| they visited Kenya biyya keeniyaa daawwatan |
The future tense in Oromo conveys a situation or event which is anticipated to happen in the future. Here are some examples:
| Future Tense - Oromo |
|---|
| I will drink milk buna ndhuga |
| you will drink coffee buna dhugda |
| he will drink tea inni shaayi dhuga |
| she will drink water bishaan dhugdi |
| we will drink apple juice chuunfaa apili dhugna |
| they will drink tea jarri shaayi dhugu |
Now let's take a break and refresh our vocabulary by learning the body parts.
ear gurra |
eye ija |
mouth afaan |
nose funyaan |
hair dabbasaa |
face fuula |
head mataa |
heart onnee |
hand harka |
fingers quboota |
leg luka |
feet miilla |
Travel Phrases in Oromo
Imagine yourself in some Oromo speaking country. The following travel phrases are highly important and can help you avoid misunderstanding. Try to memorize them and practice!
| English - Oromo |
|---|
| Can you help me? na gargaarta? |
| Can I help you? si gargaaru? |
| Where is the airport? dirreen xiyyaaraa eessa? |
| Go straight fuuluma dura ke deemi |
| Then yeros |
| Turn left gara bitaa gori |
| Turn right gara mirgaa gori |
I hope this lesson about the verbs in Oromo was not hard for you. Please check out our main menu here for more lessons: homepage. To see the full menu, you can also click on the "Menu" icon on the left side.
Inspirational Quote: Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. Goethe |